Kuchipudi Guru A B Balakondala Rao is known to her students, disciples,
well-wishers as Balakka. She is one of the prominent disciples of
Kuchipudi maestro Dr. Vempati Chinna Satyam and runs Kuchipudi Kalaa
Kendram in Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh. She started her dance at a
very young age of eight years and it was all her determination that her
father left her at the dance school, to stay back, go to school from the
academy and most importantly learn dance as it happens in the
traditional Guru-Sishya parampara manner. She became a key faculty
at the academy. Ravi Sankar Vempati, her master’s son learnt from
Balakka. She participated in the many dance programs, projects and tours
along with her guru.

Thereafter, she continued her dance without a break and founded
Kuchipudi Kalaa Kendram after her marriage. The institute is now a
world-renowned Kuchipudi school and has been continuously producing best
talent year after year including Vidya, Aditya Brahmam etc.

Recently in the month of May 2012, she was awarded Kala Ratna by
Government of Andhra Pradesh and I met her to congratulate her besides
asking her opinion and thoughts about the award itself and present day
Kuchipudi.

Balakka, what are your feelings about receiving the award?
First of all, I feel it is my good fortune and a gift from Lord
Nataraja. This award gave me the opportunity to share the dais with
veteran artists like PVG Krishna Sarma, Nerella Venu Madhav, Vankayala
Narsimham, Bhattam Sri Ramamurthy who are idols to all of us in this
state. So, I thank our Government and our Chief Minister for this. This
is my guru’s grace.

Many of us feel that the recognition itself had come a bit too late.
I am happy to have got this recognition. I always believe awards have to
be decided (by the agencies) after searching for the talent and not
from out of those who approach them. Agencies and organizations have to
uphold the prestige of the awards by having stringent quality standards;
else they lose the respect of the general public. In short, awards and
recognitions are not to be sought or solicited for - this is what I
learnt from my guru and I believe.

Your comments about the changes in the teaching methods of Kuchipudi.
There is a huge change since the days you learnt and the present day
scenario of limited hours spent in classes.
It is true. Change is inevitable. However there are also some good
developments that have taken place, like availability of various sources
to learn more on dance, to get information, to attend dance programs
and also in having access to rich content on the internet. Agreed, they
have their own limitations. For a sincere student of dance, it is always
possible to reach true art. It is one’s own quest that shows the path.
There is a way a dance form itself reaches the true seeker, then or now.
(Smiles)

Balakka teaching in a Kuchipudi session in Kuchipudi village that was arranged for the teaching faculty

What about the traditions? We hear a lot about innovations, new works and approaches.(Again smiling, Balakka explained about the classicism and tradition in the best possible manner)
I will give you an example. Take for instance a preparation like ghee.
How is it made? Only after following a set of processes, and in the
process the initial input milk transforms, taking different forms and
ultimately becomes ghee, isn’t it? Once you make the ghee, is it
possible to reverse this? Is it essential to do this? Similar is the
classicism, wisdom, knowledge in our dance forms. They are already
refined to perfection and have taken into consideration all the required
ingredients and elements. Altering this in the name of innovation or
new works is not something that is to be done for the sake of doing
it.

Balakka, on this happy occasion let me also convey our
congratulations on you becoming a proud grandmother. We expect your
grandson to be a Kuchipudi dancer!
Yes, my eldest son Anand Srihari and daughter-in-law Maalyada are blessed with a son, Sushen. Isn’t he expressive?

Saying this, she showed the picture of her grandson on her mobile. I
got my answer. I recognized that Kuchipudi also finds a way to spread
itself, weaving into committed artiste families like Balakka's own. Her
eldest son is a well-known mridangist. Her daughter-in-law and younger
son are both famous Kuchipudi dancers.

A B Balakondala Rao can be contacted at: aditya99143@gmail.com

Bhavanvitha Venkatesh is a Kuchipudi dancer and trained under Balakka.Post
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